Laura & Pennie's Quarterly Culinary Adventures
Pennie and I spent a day cooking together every quarter between January 2003 to 2011. We took turns. Whose ever turn it was, picked a cuisine or technique they wanted to learn (or just an interesting theme), bought the food, and hosted it at their house. Usually it was just she and I (and her husband, Rocky) who ate the fruits of our labor - and he helped clean. Every now and then, I'd invite a lucky friend. We tried to record what we did with the hopes we'd publish a cookbook one day. In the meantime, I posted them here.
I have listed all the adventures here and included as many recipes as I have. Pennie has some recipes, and sometimes details may be missing. We always had wine, beer or other cocktails paired with the food, but usually didn't record them. Of course, there was always wine for the cooks during the process!
I tried to include references to the original recipes, although some may have been lost along the way. If I posted a recipe I shouldn't, please let me know and I'll take it down (or better yet, give me the correct reference information - thanks.).
2003
Tamales (1) January
Chicken and Tomatillo Tamales
Chimayo Basic Red Chili Sauce
Middle Eastern (2) March 9
Poulet aux Dates
Mechouia Salad
Sweet Jeweled Rice
Mango Chutney
Sutlage – Muhallebeye (fragrant milk pudding)
Brazilian (3) May 17?
Muquecca de Candido [Need reference]
Farofa [Need reference]
White Rice (no recipe needed)
Rocambri de Doce de Leite con Molho De Chocolate [need recipe]
Capirinhas [need recipe]
Ethiopian (4) July 19
Sig We’t (hot and spiced beef stew)
Yemisir Kik We’t (split lentil stew)
Ye’Abesha Gomen We’t (collard greens)
Temateem FitFit (Injera salad with chopped tomatos)
Cottage Cheese [purchased from Eritrean woman who's daughter I knew]
Injera bread [purchased]
Berber Spice Mix
Mitmita Spice Mix [given to me by owner of Axum restaurant]
Mead
Scandanavian (5) October
Beef and Pork Cabbage Rolls with Lingonberry Preserves
Bacalao Stew
Norwegian Pancakes and Lingonberries
2004
Eastern European/Jewish (6) January
Matjejs Herring, Lox, Sprats and Mini Rye Bread [purchased]
Borsht
Cholent
Iced Vodka [purchased]
Eggcream
Hamentashen
Melange 1: Kebabs techniques, Spaghetti in Wine etc. (7) March 20
A variety of Kebabs [need recipe]
Asparagus with Fried Eggs, Prosciutto, Truffle Oil and Parmesan
Cuban (8) July 5
Cold Mango Soup with Raspberry Puree
Stuffed Avocado with Vinaigrette
Coconut Mahi-Mahi with Passion Fruit Sauce
Ceviche
Cuban Black Beans
Yellow Rice with Corn
Key Lime Pie [purchased]
Mamay Shake
The Presidente Cocktail
Indonesian (9) October 17
Opor Ayam (Braised chicken in coconut milk)
Gado Gado (fancy mixed salad)
Telor Bumbu Bali (Spiced Eggs)
Jasmine Rice [no recipe needed]
Krupuk (fried dried shrimp chips)
Pirate’s Paste
Kecap Manis (sweet soy sauce)
Sri Kaya Pisang (steamed plantain custard)
2005
Southern/Afro-Atlanatic/Lowcountry (10) January 15
Classic Coastal Crabmeat Spread [need recipe]
Pimento Cheese Dip[need recipe]
Crackers [no recipe needed]
Pennie’s Mom’s Fried Chicken [need recipe]
Collard Greens[need recipe]
Okra [need recipe]
Hush Puppies[need recipe]
Corn Bread[need recipe]
Blender Mayonnaise with Herbal Mix [need recipe]
Sweet Potato Pie [need recipe]
Mint Juleps [need recipe]
Wine
Antique Recipes (11) May 8
Assorted Barquettes with Salpicons, Pastry, Homemade Veloute, mayonnaise, and jelly.
Iceberg Wedge Salad
Beef Stroganoff
Election Cake
Negronis and wine
Poached Egg and Hollandaise Technique (12) July 17
Eggs Benedict
Salmon Hash
Farmer’s Market Cherries, Peaches and Blueberries [no recipe needed]
Chocolate Walnut Breakfast Ring
Chammpagne with Berries soaked in Liqueur [no recipe needed]
Italian Magazines (13) October 2
Italian Salumi and Cheeses [purchased]
Papradelle with Braised Beef
Walnut and Gorgonzola Spaghetti
Pumpkin Tortelli with Sage-Butter Sauce
Lemon Salad with Red Onion
Peaches with Ricotta
Prosecco, 2 Bottles Italian Red Wine, Limocello, Averna, Campari
2006
Italian Vegetables and Lamb Cuts (14) January 15
A Variety of Seasoned Roasted Lamb Cuts [need recipe]
Spinach Fritters [need recipe]
Chocolate Eggplant and Coconut Balls [need recipe]
French (15) April 2
Pierre Robert Cheese with Armagnac-Soaked Raisins
Baguette [purchased]
La Vielle Maison Onion Soup with Egg
Fennel a la Grecque
Coq au Vin
Dacquoise
Armagnac and French Wines
Chili Verde and Margaritas (16) September 24
Chili Verde [need recipe]
Tortillas [no recipe needed]
Margaritas [need recipe]
Collaboration on the cookbook (17) [evaluate what’s missing, no cooking] October 29
2007
Vietnamese a la “Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet” (18) February 25
Tapioca and Corn Pudding with Coconut Cream
Carrot and Daikon Pickled Salad
Ginger Chicken Noodle Soup
Vietnamese Peanut Sauce
Vegetarian Nuoc Cham
Avocado Milk Shake
Korean (19) April 15
Bulgogi (barbequed beef)
Dipping Sauce for Bulgogi
Kimchee [purchased locally made from Asian market]
Bi Bim Bap
White Asian Rice [no recipe needed]
Mixed Brown Rices with Purple Yam and Barley [purchased and cooked]
Bam Gaang-Jong (chestnut treats)
Spice Dried Persimmon Soup with Pine Nuts
Shakespeare - All's Well That Ends Well (20) August 11
Creamy Truffled Polenta
Gruyere-Saffron Quiche with Squab (woodcock) and Onion
Simple Green Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Pear Mincemeat Pie with Dates and Pecans
Cava and Pomegranate Cocktails and Pomegranate Wine
Pho (21) October 20
Pho (Vietnamese Beef Soup)
Thai Coconut Tapioca Pudding with Cayenne-
Spiced Mango
Iced Watermelong Drink
2008
Chinese New Year (22) February 16
Buddah’s Delight [got from web, no edits]
Steamed Fish [got from web, no edits]
Jiaozi (Dumplings with dough) [got from web, no edits]
Nian Gao (Chinese sticky cake) [got from web, no edits]
Chinese New Year Candy Dish [got from web, no edits]
Domesticity (23) May 10
Shrimp Salad Bahia
Grilled Duck Wellington with Porcini Mushrooms and Ripley’s Secretive Sauce
Tivoli Torte
Farmer’s Market (24) July 12
Bruscetta with chopped tomatoes, grated cheese and sautéed mushrooms [need recipe]
Strawberry, cherry, peach and rhubarb crumble [need recipe]
Beef with sautéed onions and peppers [need recipe]
Hugo’s Fettuccini with peas, zucchini and cream sauce
Beets and strawberries with goat cheese [need recipe]
Wine
Unique Recipes (25) October 25
Cheese, sausage, crackers, jams, and fruit
Shanghai Doup Dumplings (Xiaolongbao)
Bucatini all’ Amatriciana
Mocha Ice Cream in a Bag
Wine found around the house
2009
Mac and Cheese (26) January 11
Mac & Cheese Pancakes — From New York Times
Mac & Cheese with Bread Crumbs [need recipe]
Baked Lobster Mac and Cheese – Alex Porter
Kraft Mac & Cheese [no recipe needed]
Oven Poached Pears with Wine [need recipe]
Mixed Greens with Cucumber, Mint and Lime Olive-oil vinaigrette [need recipe]
Filipino (27) May 2
Pinakbet (Philippine Vegetable Stew)
Ensaimada (Philppine-style Brioche)
Adobong Manok (Chicken Adobo)
Turon (bananas fried in lumpia wrappers – maybe with jackfruit preserves)
Pandan Iced Tea or Ginger Tea
Gin and Pomello (or grapefruit)
Grilled Pizza and Chocolate Fondue (28) August 15
White clam pizza (a la Pepe's New Haven)
Pissaladiere
Ham and gruyere (with olives?).
Maybe one more.
Chocolate fondue made with the black onyx cocoa with strawberries, ginger, macaroons.
2010
Scandanavian Redux (29) January 16
Mussels with Aquavit, Cream, and Tarragon (served with good crusty bread)
Chicken with Saffron and Cinnamon
Green Beans and Peas with Celeriac and Mango
Savoy Cabbage with Dill Butter and Bacon
Cumin-baked Parsnips with Salmon Roe
Pears with Ginger, Juniper Berries, and Caraway Cream
Homemade Aquavit
Balinese (30) April 10
Sate Lilit (Minced Seafood Satay)
Kambing Mekuah (Balinese Goat Stew) traditionally
Rice
Rujak (Vegetable & Fruits Salad With Palm Sugar Sauce)
Coconut water with
Beer
New Portugese (31) July 25
Crispy fried asparagus with cilantro-ginger mayonnaise (Peixinhos da Horta)
Black olive risotto (Rizoto de Azeitonas Pretas)
Curried mussels over rice (Mexilhões com Caril)
Amped-up Red Pepper Paste (Massa de pimentão forte)
Sweet lemon and black olive wafers (Biscoitos doces de limão e azeitonas
pretas) with vanilla ice cream
Chocolate mousse (Mousse de chocolate)
Puerto Rican (32) October 23
Traditional Tostones (Tostones Tradicionales)
Cold Avocado Soup La Fortaleza (Sopa Fria de Aguacate Estilo La Fortaleza)
Puerto Rican Pot Roast (Carne Mechada al Estilo Puertorriqueno)
Basic Yellow Rice with Pigeon Peas(Arroz Amarillo Basico)
Chayote Salad (Ensalada de Chayote)
Guava Mousse (Mousse de Guayaba)
Puerto Rican Sangria (Sangria Criolla)
2011
Gluten and Dairy Free (33) February 13
Chunky Tapenade with Crackers
Seared Shrimp with Garlic-Almond Sauce
Crisp Pork Belly with Wild Rice, Cabbage, Sour Cherries, and Honey-Sage Gastrique
Pear Crisp, served with sweetened cashew-almond cream
Gluten and Dairy Free #2 - Shellfish (34) February 13
Shrimp Tempura Cocktail
Miniature Crab Cakes with Tomato Ginger Jam
Seared Scallops with Roasted-Garlic Sabayon
Quick Coconut Milk Ice Cream with Tropical Fruit
White Wines & spiced rum to sip with dessert